Mail-bag delivering and receiving apparatus.



PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

I T. GROSS.

MAIL BAG DELIVERING AND RECEIVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION TILED JAN.13. 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Quoenfov i I l i 3 waxy/mm.

1 b1 oooeo 1 PATENTEDJULY 14, 1908.

T. CROSS,

MAIL BAG DELIVERING AND RECEIVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 13, 1908.

2 SHEBTSSHEE T 2 atbo'onu o THEODORE GROSS, OF WASHINGTON, INDIANA.

MAIL-BAG DELIVERING AND RECEIVING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Application filed January 13, 1908. Serial No. 410,617.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE CRoss, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the county of Daviess and State of Indiana,have invented a new and useful Mail-Bag Delivering and ReceivingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail bag delivering and receiving apparatusfor use in trans ferring mail bags to and from cars in motion.

The invention is more particularly designed as an improvement upon thecon struction described and claimed in Patent No. 809,430 granted to meon January 9, 1906.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide novel means forsupporting a bag in position where it can be readily engaged by thereceiving mechanism, said supporting device being collapsible so as tooccupy the minimum amount of space when not in use.

Another object is to provide receiving mechanism designed to be readilyshifted into or out of operative position, said mech anism being in theform of deflecting members hingedly connected. to opposite sides of thedoor opening into which the mail is to be delivered, there being meanswhereby either or both of said devices can be shifted into or out ofoperative position.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction and combinations of parts which will behereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of theinvention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the complete apparatus andshowing the delivering and receiving mechanism of a car and of areceptacle used in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is an elevation of oneof the receiving devices, the same being shown ex tended into operativeposition. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line (t -ac, Fig. 1. Fig. 4is an enlarged section on line y-y, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevationof one of the delivering cranes, the same being shown extended to hold abag. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of a portion of said crane. Fig. 7 is aside elevation of a portion of the crane folded. Fig. 8 is a frontelevation of the parts shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, A designates a mailcar having the usual door opening a and this car is equipped withimproved delivering and receiving mechanism embodying the presentimprovements. The mechanism is duplicated at each side of the car doorso as to operate when the car is moving in either direction. Thereceiving mechanism has been designated generally by the letter B andconsists of parallel beams 11 which are bolted or otherwise secured tothe side of the car and at right angles to the sides of the door casing.Each set of beams has a deflecting plate 2 hingedly connected to thoseends thereof nearest the car door as indicated at 3 and said plate isdesigned when not in use to fold inwardly away from the car door againstthe beams 1 so as to be out of the way. A pivot bolt 4 extends throughthe beams 1 adjacent those ends thereof farthest removed from hinges 3and pivotally mounted on this bolt are parallel links 5 held at theproper dis tance apart and also held removed from the beams 1 by meansof suitable spacing blocks 6. A brace strip 7 is pivotally mountedbetween the links 5 and designed to fold therebetween or to be extendedtherebeyond and this strip has a guide block 8 hingedly connectedthereto as indicated at 9, said block being slidable within a socket 10formed at one end of a channel 11 extending longitudinally in one faceof the plate 2. A face plate 12 extends over the socket 10 and isdesigned to retain the block 8 in position therein. The parts are soproportioned that when links 5 and strip 7 are brought into alinementplate 2 will be extended beyond the wall of the car and will extendpartly across the door opening a as indicated at the right of Fig. 1. Ifdesired, the plate can be locked in this position by inserting a pin 13through the links 5 and strip 7 at points adjacent thepivotal connectiontherebetween.

Pivotally'connected to the links 5 is an arm 14 which is slidablymounted in the wall of the car A. The arm 14 at one side of the door isconnected directly to an operating lever 15 fulorumed adjacent the cardoor as indicated at 16 in Fig. The other arm 14 is pivotally connectedto an arm 17 extending upward from a rock shaft 18 mounted under the carfloor as indicated, in Fig. 3. This shaft extends to a point adjacentlever 15 where it is provided with a lever 19 extending upward throughthe car floor. It will be apparent therefore that an operator standingclose to the two levers can readily actuate either one of them so as toshift either of the receiving plates into operative or inoperativeposition.

The delivering mechanism carried by the car consists of two similarcranes one of which is located at each side of the car door, each ofthese cranes being designated by the letter 0. As shown particularly inFig. 5 the crane consists of a standard 20, the ends of which aremounted in bearings 21, and, as indicated in Fig. 1, these bearings arelocated upon the sides of the door casing and are so positioned that thecrane can be readily swung outward through the door opening and intoposition to hold a sack suspended beyond the side of the car. A block 22is secured upon the same face of the standard at a point below the firstmentioned block. Each of these blocks has an arm 23 hinged to it andanother arm 24 is hingedly connected to the standard at a point belowthe adjoining block 22. Each arm 24 has supporting strips 25 pivotallyconnected to its outer end, said strips, when extended, being projectedin opposite directions as shown in Fig. 1. Links 26 are pivotallyconnected to the end of each arm 23 and to the respective arms 25.

7 Each of the supporting strips 25 may, if desired, be provided withsuitable means for engaging the ring of a mail bag or sack or, ifpreferred, said ring may be placed directly upon the supporting strip asindicated in the drawings. A rod 27 is pivotally connected to the arms24 near their hinges and is parallel with the standard 20. A slide 28 ismounted upon the standard and may be guided in any desired manner as byslotting it longitudinally as indicated at 29 and extending a guidestrip 30 therethrough. A link 31 is pivotally connected to this slideand also to one of the arms 24 and a lever 32 is fulcrumed upon thestandard and pivotally connected to the slide so that when the lever isswung in one direction motion may be transmitted therefrom through theslide and the link 31 to the arms 24 and rod 27 in the mannerhereinafter set forth.

The receiving and delivering mechanism hereinbefore described isdesigned to be duplicated. at the receiving opening (1 of a rece tacle Dwhich is mounted to travel upon rails (1 extending at right angles fromthe track on which the car A is mounted. This receptacle is designed tobe shifted toward or from the car A as described in my patenthereinbefore mentioned and by properly arranging the delivering andreceiving mechanism thereon the same will cooperate with thecorresponding mechanism carried by the car so that mail can betransferred in the proper manner.

The normal position of each plate 2 is against the beams 1 and parallelwith the sides of the car or receptacle. When this plate is sopositioned the brace strip 7 is folded between the links 5 as indicatedat the left of the receptacle in Fig. 1. The normal position of eachcrane is within the car or receptacle and with its arms folded so as topresent a compact structure occupying the minimum amount of space. Whenit is desired to extend the receiving mechanism into operative positionthe operator within the car pulls on the proper lever 5 or 19 so as toshift one of the arms 14 outwardly. This arm will push against the links5 to which it is connected and the free ends of said links will in turnpush against the inner face of plate 2 and swing it outwardly. Thismovement of the plate will be further produced by the toggle-like actionof said links and the strip 7. When the links 5 have been pushed outwardas far as possible the plate 2 will have been brought into a position infront of the door opening and obliquely thereto. If desired, theoperator can lock the plate in its adjusted position by inserting pin 13into the links 5 and the strip 7 as shownin Figs. 1 and2.

After the plate has been positioned in the manner described the crane atthe opposite side of the door is extended by actuating the lever 32 soas to operate the slide 28 and cause link 31 to push upward on the lowerarm 24. Motion will be transmitted from this arm through bar 27 to theother arm 24. Inasmuch as the hinges of the arms 23 and 24 are out ofvertical alinement it will be obvious that when arms 24 are pushedupward the arms 23 by reason of their connections there with at 25 and26 will also be raised but the distance between the outer ends of thearms 23 and 24 will diminish during its upward movement and cause thelinks 24 to push outwardly upon strips 25 and swing them into positionat right angles to arms 24. lNhile they are thus extended a mail bag orsack such as indicated by dotted lines at E canbe placed between two ofthe arms after which the crane can be swung outward through the dooropening where it may beheld by means of a spring catch 33 or in anyother suitable manner.

In Fig. 1 the receiving plate 1 has been shown extended beyond the carwhile the receptacle D is shown with a crane extended therebeyond. Theparts are therefore positioned so as to deliver a bag or sack from thereceptacle D to the car. It is to be understood, however, that ifpreferred these positions of the parts may be reversed or a crane andreceiver could be extended outward from the car and from the receptacle.It is of course to be understood that the receiving plates 2 of thereceptacle are located in a plane either below or above thecorresponding plates of the car and the cranes on the car and receptacleare so located as-to properly deliver bags or sacks to these plates.Interference of the parts is thus prevented.

When the parts have been arranged as heretofore described and as shownin Fig. 1 the car, which is moving in the direction of the arrow shownin Fig. 1, will bring the obliquely disposed plate 2 against the bag orsack E which will be pushed off of the arms 25 holding it and throwninto the door opening a. As soon as this operation has been performedthe plate 2 can be folded against the side of the door by pulling inwardon arm 14, although it is preferable to have the plate extendedconstantly from the car so that it can be used at the various stationsas they are successively pass-ed. As soon as the bag or sack has beenremoved from the crane said crane can be folded by operating lever 32 soas to pull inward on arms 24. This will cause the arms 23 to pull onlinks 26 and fold strips 25' together and toward the standard 20. Thearms 23 and 24 and the strips 25 will thus assume positions close to thestandard 20 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus of the character described receiving mechanismcomprising a hingedly supported deflecting member, a foldable bracetherefor, and manually operated means for extending or folding the braceto shift said member into or out of operative po sition.

2. In apparatus of the character described comprising a deflectingmember hingedly mounted, a foldable brace slidably engaging said member,and means for actuating the brace to swing the member into or out ofoperative position.

3.. The combination with a supporting structure having an opening; ofreceiving mechanism comprising a plate hingedly connected to saidstructure adjacent one side of the opening, and means for swinging saidmember into or out of position beyond and partly across the opening.

1. In apparatus of the character described the combmation with asupporting structure having an opening; of receiving mechanismcomprising a member hingedly connected to one side of the opening, andmanually operated means within the structure for shifting said member tofold it upon the structure or to extend it obliquely beyond the opening.

5. In apparatus of the character described the combination with asupporting structure having an opening; of receiving mechanismcomprising a hingedly supported deflecting member, a foldable bracepivotally connected to said structure and slidably engaging said member,and means for actuating the brace to fold said member upon the structureor to extend it therebeyond and partly across the opening.

6. In apparatus of the character described the combination with asupporting structure having an opening; of receiving mechanismcomprising a deflecting member hingedly connected to one side of theopening, a foldable brace pivotally connected to the supportingstructure and slidably engaging said member, and an arm connected to thebrace and disposed to fold the brace and member against the structure.

7. In apparatus of the character described the combination with astructure having an opening and a foldable deflecting memberconstituting receiving mechanism, said member being disposed at one sideof the opening; of delivery mechanism movably connected to one side ofsaid opening and comprising a crane, arms hingedly connected thereto,sup porting members pivotally connected to the arms, and means 0 eratedby the movement of said arms for olding or extending said members inrelation to the arms.

8. In apparatus of the character described delivery mechanism comprisinga standard, arms pivotally connected thereto, supporting memberspivotally connected to the arms,

means for simultaneously swinging the arms relatively to the standard,and means operated by the movement of said arms for extending or foldingsaid supporting strips relatively to the arms.

9. In apparatus of the character described delivery mechanism comprisinga standard, an arm hingedly connected thereto, a supporting structurepivotally connected to and extensible in opposite directions from saidarm, means for swinging the arm, and means operated by the movement ofthe arm for swinging the supporting strips relatively to the arm.

10. In apparatus of the character described delivery mechanismcomprising a standard, parallel arms hingedly connected thereto, asupporting member pivotally connected to one of the arms, means forsimul taneously actuating the arms, and means operated by thesimultaneous movement of said arms for shifting the supporting memberrelatively to the arm upon which it is mounted.

11. In apparatus of the character described delivery mechanismcomprising a standard, parallel arms hingedly connected thereto, asupporting member pivotally connected to one of the arms, a linkconnection between said member and the other arm, and means forsimultaneously swinging the arms.

12. In apparatus of the character de scribed delivery mechanismcomprising a standard, parallel arms hingedly connected thereto,oppositely extending supporting members pivotally connected to one ofthe arms, link connections between said members and the other arm, andmeans for simultaneously actuating the arms to. extend or fold saidmembers relatively to the arms.

13. The combination with a structure having an opening; of receivingmechanism comprising members hingedly connected to opposite sides of theopening, means connected to each member for folding it upon forsimultaneously swinging the arms rela the structure or extending itobliquely there tively to the arms, and means upon the beyond, andseparately operated devices structure for locking the arms Within the 15adjacent one side of the opening for actuopening. 5 ating the respectivemeans. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 14. In mechanism ofthe character demy own, I have hereto afliXed my signature scribed thecombination With .a structure in the presence of two Witnesses. havingan opening therein; of delivery mech- THEODORE CROSS anism comprising apivotally mounted stand- 10 ard adjacent one side 01": the opening, armsWitnesses:

hingedly connected to the standard, sup- WILLIAM R. GARDINER, portingmembers carried by the arms, means ZEDDIE KIAH B NHAM.

